Acquaintance: 'I would never have expected anything like this'

Nathan Van Wilkins 44 is charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and is being held on a $2 million bond.

By Stephanie Taylor Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at 11:29 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | The man accused of opening fire at a downtown Tuscaloosa bar early Tuesday morning remains on suicide watch at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

Meanwhile, only three of the victims of Tuesday's mass shooting remained hospitalized at DCH Regional Medical Center on Wednesday afternoon.

Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, is charged with 18 counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting into an occupied building and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling. He is being held on $2 million bail.

Tuscaloosa police did not give media interviews on Wednesday, nor did they indicate what Wilkins' motive for the shootings might have been. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton said Wednesday that Wilkins has been evaluated by a psychiatrist and is on suicide watch based on statements he has made.

An inmate on suicide watch wears a different uniform and is confined in a cell with no access to materials that could be used to commit suicide, Sexton said. Guards check in with the inmate every 15 minutes and monitor a video camera positioned in the cell.

Wilkins turned himself in to Jasper police Tuesday after allegedly shooting a man at a home in Northport, opening fire at the Copper Top and injuring 17 and setting fire to property at his former workplace in Brookwood.

Warrants and other legal documents were filed in Tuscaloosa County District Court late Wednesday.

Jackson remained in fair condition and Winkler was in serious condition Wednesday, said DCH spokesman Brad Fisher.

The condition of Northport resident Bruce Richardson Bankhead, who was shot in his home Monday night, is not known.

A deposition sheet written by a Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit investigator detailed the shooting in Northport that took place less than an hour before the shooting at Copper Top.

According to the document, Bankhead, 30, said that someone knocked on his door and said “delivery.” A man who investigators say was Wilkins pointed a gun at Bankhead and began to fire as Bankhead turned to run. Bankhead was shot in the back. Wilkins continued to fire into the house.

One of Bankhead's roommates told the Associated Press that Wilkins said he was looking for another roommate, a black man, and used a racial slur.

Investigators began receiving tips Tuesday morning that identified Wilkins as the shooter. They found the doors to his house on Buckhead Drive in Northport open and no one home. Inside, they found open containers of Wolf ammunition, the same brand used in the shootings.

Acquaintances of Wilkins say they find it difficult to reconcile what Wilkins is accused of doing with their impressions of him.

Richard Hill has known Wilkins for 30 years. They met as teenagers when Wilkins was a student at Northside High and Hill attended Tuscaloosa County High.

“Ever since I've known Nathan, he's been one of the best people you'd ever meet. He has one of the biggest hearts of anybody you'll ever meet,” he told The Tuscaloosa News. “I never would have expected anything like this from him.”

Wilkins often participates in charity motorcycle rides that benefit children, he said. Wilkins has adult children and grandchildren.

“I don't condone what he did. Looking at the mug shot, that's not him. That's not the guy I know,” he said.

Kim O'Hair has been friends with Wilkins for about 12 years. She said she was shocked when she discovered that he was the man in a video released by police Tuesday morning, showing a man walking toward the Copper Top holding a military-style assault rifle by his side.

“I was crushed and in shock,” she said.

She described Wilkins as quiet and said that she had never seen him violent or angry.

“He's one of the best friends you could ever have. I've never seen a man who was a better friend and good person all around,” she said. “I don't know what could have possibly happened.

“I'm not condoning his actions. We never know what people go through in their lives, we never know. We don't walk their road, we don't travel their sorrows and we can't walk in their shoes. Until we do, the prayers should be for all, including the victims, him and his family.”

Wilkins had been fired from his job at Capstone Oilfield Services after a fistfight with a co-worker in March. He told police that he was angry about his firing, and he was pressing assault charges against the co-worker, said Brookwood Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Sellers. The other man had also been fired but not arrested.

Sellers said he's not aware of any connection between the shooting victims and the company.

Court records filed Wednesday indicate that Wilkins receives $260 of unemployment each week, and had financial troubles. He filed for bankruptcy three times since 1991, most recently in 2011.

Hill said that Wilkins' younger brother died from a brain tumor a few years ago. Court records indicate that he had been divorced since 2004 from his wife of 16 years. His wife claimed that Wilkins had been verbally and physically abusive, and had threatened to kill her. He served 10 days in the Tuscaloosa County Jail when he violated a restraining order by threatening her at their son's football practice, telling her to “watch her back.”

<p>TUSCALOOSA | The man accused of opening fire at a downtown Tuscaloosa bar early Tuesday morning remains on suicide watch at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.</p><p>Meanwhile, only three of the victims of Tuesday's mass shooting remained hospitalized at DCH Regional Medical Center on Wednesday afternoon.</p><p>Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, is charged with 18 counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting into an occupied building and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling. He is being held on $2 million bail.</p><p>Tuscaloosa police did not give media interviews on Wednesday, nor did they indicate what Wilkins' motive for the shootings might have been. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton said Wednesday that Wilkins has been evaluated by a psychiatrist and is on suicide watch based on statements he has made.</p><p>An inmate on suicide watch wears a different uniform and is confined in a cell with no access to materials that could be used to commit suicide, Sexton said. Guards check in with the inmate every 15 minutes and monitor a video camera positioned in the cell.</p><p>Wilkins turned himself in to Jasper police Tuesday after allegedly shooting a man at a home in Northport, opening fire at the Copper Top and injuring 17 and setting fire to property at his former workplace in Brookwood.</p><p>Warrants and other legal documents were filed in Tuscaloosa County District Court late Wednesday.</p><p>The papers list the 17 people who were shot at the Copper Top as Andreas Hielscher, Christopher Bryant Johnson, Renardo Jackson, Alonzo John Ruffin, Jeremy Cordell Davis, Willis Junior Howard, Tebiarus Levert Gill, Andrew Herbert Stone, Rachel Amberly Studdard, Jonathan Riley Dunn, Cody Clay Patterson, Brian William Hundley, Kelvin Tramon Sigler, Jason Bradley Atencio, Kaitlyn Knapp Lamb, Jillian Nicole Garcia and Mario Winkler.</p><p>Jackson remained in fair condition and Winkler was in serious condition Wednesday, said DCH spokesman Brad Fisher. </p><p>The condition of Northport resident Bruce Richardson Bankhead, who was shot in his home Monday night, is not known.</p><p>A deposition sheet written by a Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit investigator detailed the shooting in Northport that took place less than an hour before the shooting at Copper Top.</p><p>According to the document, Bankhead, 30, said that someone knocked on his door and said “delivery.” A man who investigators say was Wilkins pointed a gun at Bankhead and began to fire as Bankhead turned to run. Bankhead was shot in the back. Wilkins continued to fire into the house. </p><p>One of Bankhead's roommates told the Associated Press that Wilkins said he was looking for another roommate, a black man, and used a racial slur.</p><p>Investigators began receiving tips Tuesday morning that identified Wilkins as the shooter. They found the doors to his house on Buckhead Drive in Northport open and no one home. Inside, they found open containers of Wolf ammunition, the same brand used in the shootings.</p><p>Acquaintances of Wilkins say they find it difficult to reconcile what Wilkins is accused of doing with their impressions of him.</p><p>Richard Hill has known Wilkins for 30 years. They met as teenagers when Wilkins was a student at Northside High and Hill attended Tuscaloosa County High.</p><p>“Ever since I've known Nathan, he's been one of the best people you'd ever meet. He has one of the biggest hearts of anybody you'll ever meet,” he told The Tuscaloosa News. “I never would have expected anything like this from him.”</p><p>Wilkins often participates in charity motorcycle rides that benefit children, he said. Wilkins has adult children and grandchildren.</p><p>“I don't condone what he did. Looking at the mug shot, that's not him. That's not the guy I know,” he said.</p><p>Kim O'Hair has been friends with Wilkins for about 12 years. She said she was shocked when she discovered that he was the man in a video released by police Tuesday morning, showing a man walking toward the Copper Top holding a military-style assault rifle by his side.</p><p>“I was crushed and in shock,” she said. </p><p>She described Wilkins as quiet and said that she had never seen him violent or angry.</p><p>“He's one of the best friends you could ever have. I've never seen a man who was a better friend and good person all around,” she said. “I don't know what could have possibly happened.</p><p>“I'm not condoning his actions. We never know what people go through in their lives, we never know. We don't walk their road, we don't travel their sorrows and we can't walk in their shoes. Until we do, the prayers should be for all, including the victims, him and his family.”</p><p>Wilkins had been fired from his job at Capstone Oilfield Services after a fistfight with a co-worker in March. He told police that he was angry about his firing, and he was pressing assault charges against the co-worker, said Brookwood Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Sellers. The other man had also been fired but not arrested. </p><p>Sellers said he's not aware of any connection between the shooting victims and the company. </p><p>Court records filed Wednesday indicate that Wilkins receives $260 of unemployment each week, and had financial troubles. He filed for bankruptcy three times since 1991, most recently in 2011. </p><p>Hill said that Wilkins' younger brother died from a brain tumor a few years ago. Court records indicate that he had been divorced since 2004 from his wife of 16 years. His wife claimed that Wilkins had been verbally and physically abusive, and had threatened to kill her. He served 10 days in the Tuscaloosa County Jail when he violated a restraining order by threatening her at their son's football practice, telling her to “watch her back.”</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210. </p><p>Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.</p>